Methodological considerations for the revisitation of existing curated archaeological collections: a California case study

This research project is a consideration of the methodological steps within the revisitation process of existing curated archaeological collections to further research and provide viable data for possible reinterpretations of material culture. This thesis research was conducted in the hopes of inspiring anthropologists and archaeologists to revisit existing curated collections by presenting some of the various possibilities and benefits of conducting such a process. Discussion of emergent data through recordation, potential sources of data, as well as technical analyses within the revisitation process, serves to illuminate the value of conducting this process with current understandings, approaches, and tools. To demonstrate the revisitation process, this thesis presents a case study on an existing curated prehistoric archaeological collection, the Ray Cave Collection (CA-INY- 444), from Inyo County, California. The result of the revisitation process, as demonstrated with the Ray Cave collection, is an existing curated archaeological collection and associated data that has been organized and primed for future interpretation and research projects. The immense potential of the revisitation process for existing archaeological collections serves to benefit the preservation and research of cultural heritage.